October 1, 2013 | Hello October!

October 1, 2013 | Slow Cooker Pork and Apples

Since October is National Apple Month and I found this recipe Crock Pot Pork and Apples today I thought I'd share it with you.

Dinner - Mostly Cold

Dinner - Mostly Cold
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Too hot to even think of cooking and eating a hot meal!

Chicken sausage & peppers, cucumber salad and Romaine with black olives and mozzarella pearls w/Balsalmic dressing.

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Strawberry & Cream

Strawberry & Cream
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Tried something a little different for breakfast... daughter is always trying something new, it was pretty good too!

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Bidding March Farewell

The last week has just zoomed right by... I can not believe it's already April! Here's what I've been up to

Clearly, the iPhone has taken over my life... 3 out of 5 of these were taken with it. We are definitely at the dawn of the age of mobile photography and the iPhone is just the beginning. It's amazing to me that the iPhone 4 is the most popular camera on Flickr today. iPhones also are the top 4 most popular camera phones, followed closely by the Android based Samsung Galaxy S II in the fifth spot and is gaining popularity.

iPhoneography is taking the world by storm, more importantly the age of phoneography is upon us. As new smartphones are developed they are featuring improved camera performance and increased application development. Photography has become fun and hip... and so easy to share it's almost infectious!

Decadence

Decadence
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Had a fun night at my Great-nephew's high school fashion show. A night of prizes, gorgeous young Seniors and to finish it off... this awesomeness!

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Exposure 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture f/2.4

Egg Sammich

Egg Sammich
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Jeero: I like eggs, I think Maggie left this here for me... nom, nom, nom oh and cheese too!

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Weekend Treat

Weekend Treat
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Special treat for the weekend, nice sale on the asparagus... love watching them really enjoy home cooking!

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iPhone 4S
Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 0.05 sec (1/20)
Camera+ crop: Square

Grapes

Grapes
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

This afternoon's snack from nature

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Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/2.8
Focal Length 35 mm
PW Boost action applied

February's Start

February's Start
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Via Flickr:
1. Turkey Sandwich, 2. Working it.., 3. Friday Gazing, 4. Simply Maddox, 5. Weekend Favorite
Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Now to get on with today's photo!

Whirlwind Week

The second week of this new year certainly was a whirlwind of a week, seems like everyday past Monday just sped on by!

Tuesday found us waiting in the doctors office for a bit too long... I just hate how much time is spent in these rooms! While we haven't really had any snow since October, the temps dropped enough for the daughter's boots to make an appearance. 



Got the Boot!

I find that I'm shooting a lot with the iPhone, love this convenient little device because it is always with me without weighing me down. Since it's also my phone, I dare not leave home without it.

Wednesday was off to a pretty bad start...

Bad Start

Daughter's car wouldn't turn over for anything... off to the mechanic we sent it! Not a horrible diagnosis, just some spark plugs needed to be replaced. Glad it happened now and not next week when she's back at school for her final semester. :-)

On a client visit I found this cute little couple just watching over things in the office

Desktop Buddies

My little friend Jeero is always looking for some "Snackers", but I think he's feeling a bit bloated from all the cookies

Lighter Snackers

Saturday afternoon Kate and I had the most delicious Peppers and Egg sandwich I've had in ages. She found an awesome recipe, I think this one is a keeper.

Lunch!

Sundays are so refreshing, a great day to relax! Hopefully the chores are done and a nice light snack of fresh apples can be enjoyed in peace and quiet.

Sliced!

And here we are, right back at Monday again... Monday morning just doesn't seem so bad when you have a friend right by your side...

Watching You

And as a bonus... another black and white shot, from Saturday's lunch preparation

Cubanella

Power

Power
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

The morning cup... A big fan of  "Girl Power", the Spice Girls were a big hit for my daughter back in the day. I don't think my daughter has used this cup in many years and now has no interest, so I get to use this for my morning coffee.

Today I jumped around in my camera's manual, but landed on page 27. I now have a better understanding of using auto-focus.

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Sweetness

Sweetness 4/366
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

May God give you...
For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer. ~ Irish Blessing


Today I read page 26 in my manual and visited 50 Adorable Photographs of Danbo a true testament to my love of toy photography!

Classic Sauce

15/365 Classic Sauce
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Today I spent the afternoon making sauce with meatballs and sweet Italian sausage, a big enough batch so Kate can take some back to school with her.

I've just recently started to make my own sauce, for years we used jarred sauce or went out for dinner when in the mood for some Italian dish. I've never made my own because my mother made the best sauce in the world, and I never made it with her so I was afraid I'd never get it right. I remember growing up and how the neighbor's daughters would be at the door whenever Momma cook her spaghetti and meatballs. It was amazing to see how they loved her meatballs... we were all close friends and Momma loved it! How could I ever live up to that?

Momma never had recipes written down, like a musician that plays by ear, she had a natural talent for cooking. The only way to learn from her was to watch her in action, even lend her a hand. Measuring tools were never found in her kitchen either, it was always a "pinch", a "dash" or a "touch" of whatever ingredients were in the dish. She also knew how to feed a crowd on a shoestring... but then again, with seven kids the family was a crowd by ourselves.

I finally decided that I could no longer stand the store bought sauces, and with some help from my brother Ed got the basic sauce down about two months ago. The first batch left much to be desired, it was too thick and bland... but I doctored it up a bit more and it was edible. The second batch, with some advice from a good friend came out just like Momma used to make... I must admit, I was very proud of myself and thrilled to see hubby and daughter cleaning up all the sauce on their plates just like the neighbor's girls did for Momma. So today's batch, a request made by my daughter is batch three and I'm sure Momma would be proud!

Indulgence

6/365 Indulgence
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" - Mae West

Had a nice afternoon with my daughter and brother, nothing fancy just lunch at Arby's. From the Dollar Menu, Chocolate Turnover, one reason I'm glad I didn't make a resolution this year or this treat would have been an epic FAIL!

364/365 Just One

364/365 Just One, originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

Like these delightful candies, there's just one left....

358/365 Christmas Eve

358/365 Christmas Eve, originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

Kate's Christmas treat... 7 Shrimp with spaghetti! She did great and it was delicious!

331/365 8th Deadly Sin

331/365 8th Deadly Sin, originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

These delightful little treats are only available in Autumn/Winter which is "Mallomar Season" in NY. Reminds of S'mores for city folk... no campfires in the streets of NYC, please!

321/365 A Little Something Extra

321/365 A Little Something Extra, originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

Lunch at home between client visits... nice to add a bunch of Triscuits to the plate!

318/365 Sunday Treat

318/365 Sunday Treat, originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

Today's just dessert!

307/365 Using the Noggin'

307/365 Using the Noggin', originally uploaded by maggie_gem.

Jeero takes the lead in carrying off the Milano stash, Ox quickly follows hoping to go unnoticed.